Fiber-wall ice box



July`8, 1930. M. T, CHAMBERLAIN FIBER WALL ICE BOX Filed sept. 15, 192'?4 Bntvcnfor Cttorneg Patented July 8, 193

UNITED STATES PATENT] OFFICE i MARTIN CHAMBERLAIN, F JULIET, ILLINOIS FIBER-WALL Ion ,Box

'Application fnedseptember 15, 1927. serial No. 219,625,

My present invention relates to improvements in refrigerator units of the type, utilizing heat vinsulated jwalls that `may be insure the required strength and rigidity. In carrying out my invention I utilize liber or fibrous material that has been treated with a suitable binder, and thismaterial is compacted to form a cellular, light, but strong V structure. The fibrous material with its coating orbinder may be either lightly compacted to provide a large proportion of lcells in its structure, or it may be closely compacted to" reduce the proportion of voids or Cells in its structure, and the operationof compactingV the material may be accomplished in a moldor press of suitable type. The cellular structure may be made up of wood fiber (excelsior) marsh grass, rice straw, bagasse etc.,

and the fibrous material may be partially o1' wholly impregnated or coated with a binder such .as Oxy-chloride of magnesium, silicate of soda, or,`some other inexpensive binding medium that will cement the fibrous material together, or stiifen the fibers in such manner as to hold the fibrous material together as a rigid cellular structure.

The fibrous material with its binder may be closely pressed or compacted to form a strong cellular structure, or the material may be lightly compacted to form a compara-tively lighter structure with a greater area of voids. In the latter instance the. strength of the structure is reduced and to compensate for this loss in strength I introduce a reinforcing or bracing element within the interior of the wall. Y

' vMy invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth andl claimed. `In theaccompanying drawings I have illustrated two examples of the physical embodiment of my invention, wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles vof my invention. Itwill be understood however,that various changes and alterations may be made within'the scope of my claims Without del parting from the principles of my invention;

Figure l is a view showing in section the lower part of a press or mold lin which a rectangular box or container'may be fashioned from the coated fiber.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing ya,

rectangular box, with its hinged door omit' ted constructed according to my invention and partially broken away to discloseits interior cellularstructure.

Figure 8 isa sectional detail view of'part of a door to the bo'x of Figure 2 disclosing the cellular interior of theV door.

Figure i is a sectional view of a box with its back plate in detached position and show! ing the cellular interior ofthe box walls.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view at one corner ofthe ice box or refrigerator unitdisclosing a cast wall around'the cellular interior and showing also a finishing coat or deposit on the exterior of the cast wall.

Figure 6 is an exaggerated or conventionalized view showing some of the fibers with the binderor coating on them forstiffening the fibers and binding them together within the cellular walls.

In order thatthe general arrangement and y relation of parts may readily be understood I invite attention to the exaggerated view shown in Figure 6 where the fibers are designated'as l and may be either round, flat, or of any shape in cross sectional area. The fibers may be laid in any desired relation as paral-A lel, crossed, Zig-zagged vor in other irregular relations, the essential feature of arrangement being such as will provide for voids o1 cells between the fibers when the latter are compacted or pressed to form the cellular wall. The fiber of flattened shape is designated as l while others may be of various shapes as indicated at 2 where a round fiber is shown.

rIhebinder or stilfening medium 3 is applied to the fibers to partially or wholly impregnate them, and the application of the binder to the fibers is accomplished while the binder is in liquidstate, orin plastic state,

l after which the Vfibrous material is compactformer.

,ed to form thevoids or vinterstices 4, and the cellular structure is then dried. -By the use of baking or heating ovens the binder is dried on the fiber to stiften it, or the coated,

cellular structuref'may beV dried in u sual'or ,natural Ways, the latter inode ofcourse re,-

quiring a longer period of time than the In either event the moisture'i's entirely `eliminated from the plastC-` material and the latter forms'a stilfener for the indi- J position and relation.

vidual fibers Vand a binder for, all Vort-themto pressed or compacted hold or retain'them in The cellular structure is indicated as. a

*Wholeb'y thejnumeral 5 in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, saidttriict-ure being fashioned. from. the

Y so

-be fashioned betweentheinner Walls@ and@ outer Walls ,Tof the mold. Between these Walls the space 8 is, provided for the reception ofthe fibrous material,A and a door frame's indicated at 9.` yIhis pressis designed to form a boX having one openside with the rectangular frame 9 extending around the Opening asa step inthe manufacture of an ice box or refrigerating chamber or receptacle.

1f the material is Vto be lightly compacted in themoldto provide a maximum of voids with cellular 'structure has `set by drying, from corresponding decrease in strength, I utilize a reinforcing frame 10 of suitable shape that occupies acentralpart of the'space. This reinforcing frame fis attachedto thefdoor trame 9, and it may be providedwith headed spikes orV nails ,llprojecting therefrom Vfor anchoring means about which the fibers Will become interlcicliedv las they vare introduced into the space 8 .andrpressed or compacted therein y y The mixture remains in the mold until the either artificial or natural heat as above indicatedf,and then the platescr Walls of the mold asf( and if necessary the'walls 6 are removed,to permit access to the singlepiece receptaeleor boi; .with its openfront.l ThisV integral cellular structure is insulated against both heat and' moisture asthe voids'or cells forming dead air spaces `areclosed againstV the transmissionof heat, andthe Waterproof coating or binder on 4the fiber prevents ab;

sorption of moisture on.; the part of the fiber,

as Well as fibers. Y i Y i To complete the cellular box-structure a preventing access of' heat to the and exterior faces of the Walls of the box, vand `this coating which isalso inoistureproof and Vheat-proof may be sprayed, or floated on the surfaces similar to4 plastering'f,V A` finishing coat 13, as of enamel or other suitable material is used to iinishthefboxfand this finishing coat may be applied to the box in any usual or suitable manner, in color or shade of color as desired.

lnsome instances the cellularstructuremay be provided with metallic Walls as in Figure t Where the inner Wall 14: andouter Wall are shown. rllhese metallic Walls may have the anchoring means 11 for the fiber, but the Eoin-forcing iramcilO'may be omitted as not necessary. The metallic Walls may be placed Within 'the press or mold and the liber introduced therein to form a compact cellular mass Within the metal binding Walls, and after the structure has been? removed fromvthe lmold theY back plate 1 6 may be attached `to com plete the exterior metallic Walls" of, the box, This completedstrrictiire of course may be coated,-enameled, or painted With suitablefinishing material in approved manner. 4

Tocompl'etethe ice bQX'or refrigerating`v receptacle, the'door also is made heat proof and moistureproot', using the cellular structure asY a basc,fasV indicated in Figure 3 Where the doorasa Whole is indicated as, 17 and provided with. aiamb 18 cast of suitable plastic materialv about the cellular structure,

Vand the inner and outer Walls of Jfaces 12 of thedoor mayV also be cast of plastic material.

not shown, 'and the complementary hinge member 20 is shown on the boX in Figure 2.

The thicknessc'i2 the Walls may readily be Varied Vby adjusting the Walls of the'form or mold in Figure 1, and the density of the fibers inthe cellular structure, as before stated, may be' varied to decrease or increase the number of cellsor the cellular area of the. structure. Y

In somefinstances the dead air spacesgor cells may further be divided by the addition of granular `particles of material that is a non-conductor of heat, askieselguhr, or some other Wellknown material ot this nature.y v Having thus fully described my invention, What 1 claim as new and desire to, secure, by Letters Patent is 1. `A heat insulating unit comprising inner andouter Walls, and an intermediate cellular structure, said structure consistingl of ibrous materia-l and a coating on the librous material forming a binder for stitfening thematerial. s l Y 2. A heat insulatingunit comprising inner and outer Walls, anchoring means Withiiithe Walls, fibrous material coacting with said anchoring meansfand forming "a cellular structure Vbetween the Walls, anda coating onthe plasticV coating 12 is applied to the interior librousinaterial forming a binder for stiftening the material. y

3. A- heat insulating unit comprising; inner and outer Wallsand a renfocing element between Vsaid, Walls,y lightly compacted librous material between the walls and 3o-acting with the reinforcing element, and a coating on the fibrous material forming a binder for stienf ling the material.A

4. A heat insulating unit comprising inner and outer walls, a central reinforcing frame rigidly supported between the walls and anchoring means on the frame, lightly conipaeted fibrous material between the walls and co'acting with the frame and anchoring means, and a coating on the fibrous material forming a binder for stiffening the fibrous material.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

MARTIN T. CHAMBERLAIN. 

